Kerbogah Tries to Retake Antioch
[9.27.5] Intereā iussit imperātor suīs hominibus, dīcēns: “Īte et condūcite omnēs hominēs istīus terrae in Bulgāriam, et explōrātē et dēvastāte ūniversa loca, ut cum vēnerint Turcī, nihil possint hīc reperīre.” Voluissent nōluissent, nostrī reversī sunt retrōrsum, dolentēs amārissimē usque ad mortem; fuēruntque mortuī multī ex peregrīnīs, languentēs nec valentēs fortiter mīlitiam sequī; remanēbantque morientēs in viā. Omnēs vērō aliī reversī sunt Cōnstantīnopolim.
notes
(June 1098) The emperor orders his army to escort the civilian population to the European part of the Byzantine empire, and lay waste the land, leaving nothing for the Turks. Many of the pilgrims are too sick to travel and die.
Bulgāriam: the European part of the Byzantine empire.
Voluissent nōluissent: “whether they wanted to or not."
nostrī reversī sunt retrōrsum: "our men" in this case seem to be the Byzantines, along with some crusaders.
vocabulary
langueō languēre: to be sick, be ill
